This article examines the oral proficiency in French of students in core French, intensive French (IF), and post-IF to determine the effectiveness of these programs. Between 2003 and 2009, students in nine jurisdictions were assessed using the New Brunswick Middle School Scale (MSS). Students were tested prior to beginning IF (multiple grade…

This study investigates performance on oral tasks across two groups of francophone learners with different ESL instruction. It reports on second language (L2) ability gains in intensive instruction and regular instruction. To date, gains in oral proficiency have not been reported in such programs, nor has there been a comparison across two…

A study was undertaken to assess the French second language proficiency of kindergarten students in two intensive French programs and to assess the development of mother tongue skills of native English speakers in a third program. The three subject groups were as follows: (1) students in a full-day immersion program; (2) francization (half-day)…

The Summer Language Houses (SLH) in French, German, and Spanish at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been extremely effective in teaching language skills and encouraging students to continue language study. The five-week intensive language programs at the second-year level emphasize oral communication but provide practice in all language…

A study was designed to assess French second language proficiency, native language skills, and academic achievement of students in an intensive French program in an English language school in Montreal. Subjects consisted of three groups of grade 4 and three groups of grade 5 students, each grade level having one group from the intensive French…

The foreign language faculty at College of Saint Scholastica Minnesota) developed and implemented 10-day Spanish and French immersion programs based on Peace Corps methodology as a means of affording students time for intensive study of those languages, improving students' fluency, and instituting a change in teaching methodology. The first…

The evolution of a 2-week summer honors program in French for high school students, inaugurated in 1980 and conducted on a university campus, is chronicled. The program was designed to offer enriching experiences in language review, new skill building, French culture, understanding of French phonology, and conversation on topics of interest to…

Languages have lost status in the educational system, and oral skills are less effectively and rigorously taught. However, a University of Leeds program providing short, intensive courses in administrative and legal French for British civil servants has been found to be very effective in developing the participants' oral and aural skills. The…

This report describes an experimental intensive core French program for grades 5 and 6 at Churchill Alternative School in Ottawa (Canada). The aim was to improve the oral French skills of core French students by providing a period of intensive exposure to French and by increasing the total number of hours in French during one program year from 120…